Compact trucks of today are just as big as the full-size trucks of 20 years ago. And with costs pushing $30,000 in many cases--they're too big & too expensive.

What the USA would undoubtedly gobble up in droves--is a new minitruck. That's right. SIngle-cab, no-frills. With a moderately powered engine. External dimensions like a 1st gen S-10 (Isuzu Faster). And give it a base MSRP below $15,000. 4-5 speed no-frills manual would be a plus. And make it at least reasonably attractive.

The entrepreneurs alone would make this a hit seller. Young teenagers & 20-somethings who want a cheap, new pickup would be gravy on top.

What the USA would undoubtedly gobble up in droves--is a new minitruck. That's right. SIngle-cab, no-frills. With a moderately powered engine. External dimensions like a 1st gen S-10 (Isuzu Faster). And give it a base MSRP below $15,000. 4-5 speed no-frills manual would be a plus. And make it at least reasonably attractive.

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You mean like the previous-gen Ford Ranger? I doubt Ford would have dropped the model if they were selling them easily and at a profit.

Can Kia actually make a truck--even a 4x2 single cab--that will meet modern emissions standards and safety tests AND come in under $15k AND make a profit? Especially when the need to start from scratch with R&D since they don't currently have anything like that in their line-up?

Can Kia actually make a truck--even a 4x2 single cab--that will meet modern emissions standards and safety tests AND come in under $15k AND make a profit? Especially when the need to start from scratch with R&D since they don't currently have anything like that in their line-up?

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Short answer, no. Indian tractor maker Mahindra was going to try something like this with its Scorpio pickup about 4 years ago, but they couldn't get it federalized. And that was with a vehicle that had been developed and was on sale in its home and other markets for years. No way an established brand is going to build something like this from the ground up.

The entrepreneurs alone would make this a hit seller. Young teenagers & 20-somethings who want a cheap, new pickup would be gravy on top.

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Young people don't give a flying rat's behind about cars, and they care even less about pickups. There are plenty of used 2-5 year old trucks that can would be more capable and be had for similar or less money while also having a warranty.

Guess it needs to percolate a few more years then. There simply aren't "small trucks" around like there were a few years ago. Clearly the USA has too much space. Driving an F-150 in Europe at present--is an exercise in madness. Yet people who don't need them are still buying them in droves. And I'm pretty sure the reason Ford isn't aiming for the "small truck" market is because doing so would cannibalize their F-150 sales even more.

Guess it needs to percolate a few more years then. There simply aren't "small trucks" around like there were a few years ago. Clearly the USA has too much space. Driving an F-150 in Europe at present--is an exercise in madness. Yet people who don't need them are still buying them in droves. And I'm pretty sure the reason Ford isn't aiming for the "small truck" market is because doing so would cannibalize their F-150 sales even more.

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Ford has already confirmed that the new Ranger (already available in other markets) is coming back to the USA. But it'll be a $20k plus competitor to the Tacoma and Colorado, not a sub-$15k bargain truck.

If Kia wanted a pickup in its lineup, I think the best approach would be a Ridgeline-style unibody pickup based on the Sorento. The hardcore truck folks hate them because they can't tow a horse trailer or fifth-wheel camper and can't race in Baja or rock-scramble on the Rubicon Trail. But for someone who wants the price of a midsize pickup, the family-friendly cab of a full-size pickup, and day-to-day-refinement combined with the ability to carry dirtbikes or quads or home improvement supplies on the weekend, it's actually a pretty good solution.

I agree. A minitruck doesn't need to have the versatility of a regular body/frame truck. Just a couple hundred lbs weight capacity.

Everything I've seen of the new domestic Ranger is crew-cab. So it's going to have an MSRP ~29,999. I'd be happy if it didn't--but I just don't see that happening. That's the market the Ridgeline & all the other compacts are selling in.

Cut out all the chintzy, unneeded fluff that most new vehicles come equipped with & in a single-cab...and the price should come down quite a bit--especially if it's based off an existing platform & many interior/exterior parts can be carry-overs.

I agree. A minitruck doesn't need to have the versatility of a regular body/frame truck. Just a couple hundred lbs weight capacity.

Everything I've seen of the new domestic Ranger is crew-cab. So it's going to have an MSRP ~29,999. I'd be happy if it didn't--but I just don't see that happening. That's the market the Ridgeline & all the other compacts are selling in.

Cut out all the chintzy, unneeded fluff that most new vehicles come equipped with & in a single-cab...and the price should come down quite a bit--especially if it's based off an existing platform & many interior/exterior parts can be carry-overs.

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A Tacoma with an access cab (rear suicide doors and tiny rear bench) with a 4x2 and four-cylinder engine costs $22k. Black plastic bumper and everything; it's already stripped. You don't lose $7k by dropping down to a single cab. Your proposed price point of $15k is just not feasible.

A Chevy Colorado WT RWD I4 automatic costs only about $300 less than a comparably spec'ed Tacoma.

But these are not the vehicles retail truck buyers want. They want capability, convenience, and luxury. I had an opportunity to speak with Fred Diaz when he was the head of the Ram brand. He told me that there's virtually no price ceiling for non-fleet truck customers. Purchase rates on high-end Laramie models far exceeded even his expectations, which is why we've seen Fiat-Chrysler, GM, and Ford come out with the Ram Laramie Limited, Silverado High Country, Sierra Denali Limited, and F-Series Limited, respectively.

There is no market in the automotive retail space for the vehicle you're describing. Now for fleet and commercial customers, maybe, but as was said, you're never going to be able to get one down to the price bracket you mentioned. Heck, there are only a small handful of subcompact-class cars that can be purchased for less than $15,000, and even then, they're often models that lack some basic convenience items that most buyers are more than willing to pony up an extra $2,000-$3,000 to get.